Fastening means



May 18, 1937. STAHL 2,080,636

FASTENING MEANS Filed Dec. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fivenfow; F AN E. STAHL F. E. STAHL 2,080,636

FASTENING MEANS May 18, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1935 Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE FASTENING MEANS Application December 11, 1935, Serial No. 53,952. In the Union of South Africa September 7,

4 Claims.

My invention relates in general to anti-skid devices, and in particular to fastening means which may be used upon the emergency type of anti-skid devices.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide a device of this nature which may be inexpensive to manufacture and durable in construction.

Another object has been to provide fastening means having a portion thereof which may be conveniently and inexpensively formed on a wire forming machine.

Moreover, my invention, when being used in connection with the flexible strap of an emergency anti-skid device, may have the clamping member thereof locked by means of the strap.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse, sectional view of a tire showing my device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of a twin chain device, portions thereof being broken away, and my device used in connection therewith.

55 Fig. 3 is a front View of my fastening means showing the strap partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a side, sectional elevation of my fastening means taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, showing the clamping means in an inactive position.

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view showing the strap engaged with the buckle part of my device and held in place by the clamping means thereof.

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged, bottom, planview of my fastening means.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of my invention taken on line 1-! of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side, sectional elevation of my fastening means showing a modified arrangement of the clamping means My device, as shown in the drawings, is used in connection with a twin chain emergency anti-skid device comprising a strap securing member I0. The member ID is of wire and is so shaped as to provide an outwardly extending loop portion l2 at each side thereof, thus providing eyes I3 for the reception of the hooks M which connect one of the ends of each of the cross chains I5 to the member. The loop portions l2 are preferably connected together by means of a cross bar 2|. This member is also provided with a centrally arranged loop portion 16 which is offset in relation to the loops l2, thereby providing a centrally arranged bar I! for the reception of one end E8 of the strap I9. This end I8 is formed by passing 55 the strap around the bar I! and. disposing it upon (Cl. 152l4) itself where it may be fastened by rivets 2|] or in any other suitable way such as, for instance, by stitching. My fastening means comprises a chain attaching member H which is also formed of wire and 5 which carries the buckle part 35 of my device. This attaching member is provided with outwardly extending loop portions 25 which provide eyes 26 for the reception of'hooks 21 which serve to connect the other end of each of the cross chains 1 5 with the member I l. The member I I is formed in a manner similar to the member ID with an offset loop portion 28. This offset loop portion is formed by two parallel arms 29 connected at their outer ends by means of the cross bar 30. The outwardly extending loop portions 25 are connected together by means of a cross bar '3I which, as shown in Fig. 6, is offset inwardly, so as to substantially close the eyes 26 formed by the loop portions 25. r 20 The buckle part 35 of my device is preferably of stamped metal and it is provided with two attaching lugs 36 which extend outwardly from the body portion 31. The body portion is long enough to extend across the attaching member II and to 5 engage with the cross bars 30 and 3| thereof. When so positioned, the attaching lugs 36 will be in contact with the parallel arms 29, whereupon the lugs are bent by suitable means around these arms and caused to be firmly engaged therewith, 30 as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and '7. The buckle is, therefore, made a permanent part of the attaching member I I.

The body part 31 of the buckle is formed near the end which contacts withthe cross bar 3| with 35 two upstanding bearing arms 45, each of whichis formed with a bearing aperture 4|. These bearing arms All are in parallel arrangement and are formed at the side edges of the body part to provide space for the clamping element 42 which is mounted therebetween. The clamping element is provided with trunnions 43 which are engaged with the openings 4| of the arms. The clamping element is provided with a clamping jaw 44 and with a clamping lever 45. The jaw is so proportioned and positioned that when the strap is is in position, as shown in Fig. 5, and the clamping member is brought down to the position there shown, the jaw will contact therewith and will be slightly embedded therein so as to hold the strap firmly within the buckle member. Suitable retaining arms 46 are also carried by the body part and are preferably made from the same material and extended upwardly at substantially right angles to the same. They are arranged at a point on the body opposite to the place where the bearing arms are located and each of them is provided with an inwardly ex tending lug 41. The retaining arms are so spaced that they provide passage for the strap l9 but the inwardly extending lugs 4'! make the space between them so narrow that the strap will be held in place when threaded thereunder. After the strap has been clamped in position, as shown in Fig. 5, the free end 48 thereof is brought around over the top of the clamping lever and passed under the lugs 41 of the retaining arms, as also clearly shown in this figure, whereby the free end will be held down in position and will thus hold the clamping lever in its locked position. The clamping lever 45 is provided near its outer end with notches 49 so that the lever, when being moved to its locking position, may pass in between the lugs 41 of the retaining arms.

Obviously, when an emergency anti-skid chain equipped. with my invention is to be applied to the tire 50, shown in Fig. 1, the cross chains l5 are placed about the periphery of the tire and the strap I9 is passed under the rim 5| and then threaded through the buckle of my device, 'as hereinbefore described.

Inthe modification shown in Fig. 8, I reverse the position of the buckle, having the body so proportioned that the bearing arms 56 thereof will be adjacent the cross bar 30 of the attaching member, and the locking arms 51 will be adjacent the cross bar 3|. The attaching lugs 58 of the buckle are, of course, engaged with the parallel arms 29 of the attaching member. The retaining arms 51 have inwardly extending lugs 59, as in the other form of device. In this form of structure, it will be seen that the pull of the strap l9 will serve to more tightly clamp the clamping jaw 44 of the clamping means and will thus hold the clamping lever 45 thereof in contact with the strap. The free end 48 of the strap in this form of invention is returned upon the strap and threaded through between the locking arms 51 and under the lugs 59 thereof.

' Having thus described my invention, it will be understood that the appended claims should be construed in the light and spirit of the invention as shown in the drawings and described in the specification herein.

What I now claim is:

1. Strap fastening means for use in connection with a flexible strap of an anti-skid device, comprising an attaching member formed of wire, and a buckle member superimposed laterally across the attaching member, said buckle member being formed of a sheet metal stamping and provided with means for permanently and rigidly securing it to the attaching member.

2. Strap fastening means for use in connection with a flexible strap of an anti-skid device, comprising an attaching member formed of wire, and provided with outwardly extending loop portions for the tire chains, said attaching member being formed with two interspaced, parallel arms, and a buckle part superimposed laterally across the attaching member, said buckle part having attaching lugs for engagement with the parallel arms of the attaching member for permanently and rigidly securing the buckle part to the attaching member, and a clamping lever pivotally carried by the buckle for clamping and releasing the free end of the strap.

3. Strap fastening means for use in connection with a flexible strap of an anti-skid device, comprising an attaching member formed of wire, and provided with outwardly extending loop portions for the tire chains, said attaching member being formed with two interspaced, parallel arms, and a buckle part superimposed laterally across the attaching member, said buckle part having attaching lugs for engagement with the parallel arms of the attaching member for permanently and rigidly securing the buckle part to the attaching member, a clamping lever pivotally carried by the buckle for clamping and releasing the free end of the strap, and rigid strap retaining means carried by the body adjacent the free end of the clamping lever for engaging and holding the free end of the strap, whereby the free end of the said strap may be returned along the outer face of the lever while the lever is in its clamping position to prevent release thereof.

4. Strap fastening means for use in connection with a flexible strap of an anti-skid device, comprising an attaching member formed of wire, and provided with outwardly extending loop portions for the tire chains, said attaching member being formed with two interspaced, parallel arms con nected by a cross bar, and a buckle part super,- imposed laterally across the attaching member, said buckle part having attaching lugs for engagement with the parallel arms of the attaching member for permanently and rigidly securing the buckle part to the attaching member, a clamping lever pivotally carried by the buckle for clamping and releasing the free end of the strap, and rigid strap retaining means carried by the body adjacent the free end of the clamping lever for engaging and holding the free end of the strap, whereby the free end of said strap may be returned along the outer face of the lever while the lever is in its clamping position to prevent release thereof. 1

' FRANK E. STAHL. 

